2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis

Global oil trade The strait is wide at its narrowest point, forming a seaway passage between Iran and Oman. Its two unidirectional sea lanes facilitate the transit of around 20 million barrels of oil per day, representing roughly 20% of global seaborne oil trade, primarily from producers like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, and Qatar. In 2024, an estimated 84% of crude oil and condensate shipments through the strait were destined for Asian markets, Europe gets 12% to 14% of its LNG from Qatar, through the strait. Geopolitical tensions Tensions between Iran and the United States resulted in the 1988 Operation Praying Mantis, included some European countries in the 2011–2012 Strait of Hormuz dispute, and again in 2019. Tensions between Iran, the United States, and Israel escalated in the lead-up to 2026, stemming from failed nuclear negotiations in Geneva and a prior 12-day air conflict in 2025. Iran had signaled potential disruptions to the Strait of Hormuz in response to threats, including a temporary partial closure earlier in the month as a warning. In the days before the strikes, war-risk ship insurance premiums for the strait increased from 0.125% to between 0.2% and 0.4% of the ship insurance value per transit. For very large oil tankers, this is an increase of a quarter of a million dollars. Escalation On 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel initiated coordinated airstrikes on Iran under Operation Epic Fury, targeting military facilities, nuclear sites, and leadership, resulting in the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Iran responded with missile barrages on Israeli cities and US bases in the Gulf, including in the UAE, Qatar, and Bahrain, causing casualties and infrastructure damage. The conflict expanded to Lebanon, where Iran-backed Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel, prompting Israeli counterstrikes. On March 4, Iran announced that the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for the shipping of oil, natural gas, and other products, was "closed", and threatened to attack any ship that attempted to pass it. It would eventually make exceptions for ships from countries it deemed to be "friends" of the republic, as with seven stranded Malaysian ships that it allowed to pass through the strait on April 6. On 9 March, Iran declared that they would bring more security passage to the countries that expels US and Israel ambassadors. By 9 March, shipping insurance rates for the strait were reported to have increased by four to six times over the previous week, and the US government began to offer help to insurers under the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act, while continuing to warn commercial shipping against the area. The same day, Trump said that Iran's military had been destroyed, that the strait was open, and that the US might seize control of it from Iran to keep it open for commercial activity. == Iranian blockade ==

List of ships attacked by Iran Footnotes: Tools for closure Iran uses four methods of restricting traffic in the strait. Attacks from boats, missiles and drones are the physical way of keeping ships away. Satellite spoofing and GNSS jamming makes navigation harder. Timeline Within hours of the strikes, the IRGC transmitted warnings via VHF radio to vessels in the strait, stating that no ships would be permitted to pass. Although the closure is not legally binding as Iran did not formally declare a blockade, military and industry sources say that safety cannot be guaranteed, and several ships stayed in port or turned back. The threats led to a partial closure, with ship-tracking data first showing a 70%reduction in traffic. The US-flagged Stena Imperative was struck twice at the port of Bahrain, causing a fire. The Athe Nova, which has links to Iran, was struck by two drones after attempting to illegally cross the Strait of Hormuz, according to the IRGC-linked Tasnim News Agency. Protection and indemnity insurance is critical for shipping. Its war risk was removed for 5March, making the economic risk too high for ship owners to use the strait. The strait was declared a high-risk zone, yielding extra pay and the right of refusal for the crew. The strait remained technically open, but effectively closed. On 4March, the IRGC claimed that they had achieved complete control of the strait. By then, at least eight vessels had been damaged. A Malta-flagged ship, Safeen Prestige, was struck, forcing its crew to evacuate. Meanwhile, the Pola, which had earlier turned its AIS transponder off, managed to pass through the strait and deliver its cargo to the UAE, despite the blockade. struck the oil tanker Sonangol Namibe, which was anchored near Mubarak Al Kabeer Port in Kuwait more than from the strait, representing a significant expansion of the conflict. The attack caused an oil spill that posed an environmental risk. A small vessel was observed leaving the scene following the attack. The IRGC said that it hit a US oil tanker. On 6March, a tugboat dispatched to assist the Safeen Prestige was struck by two missiles and later sank, leaving at least three crew members missing. Also that day, US military intelligence sources reported that Iran had begun planting naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Following the reports, US president Donald Trump demanded that Iran should immediately remove any mines it had planted, and the US military said it destroyed 16 Iranian minelayers. A large wave of attacks on ships was carried out on 11March, with at least three vessels sustaining damage. and later confirmed dead. By 12March, the UKMTO had received reports of 16attacks on shipping and four 'suspicious incidents' in the Persian Gulf since the start of hostilities. On 17 March, Kuwait-flagged liquified petroleum tanker Gas Al Ahmadiah was hit by a projectile while anchored east of Fujairah, causing minor damage. On 27 March, Mayuree Naree went aground on Qeshm Island. The IRGC Navy also turned away three container ships from passing through the strait. The IRGC announced that movement through the strait for any vessel going "to and from" the ports of the US, Israel, and their allies is prohibited. On 30 March, the Liberia-flagged container ship Express Rome reported that two projectiles splashed in the water nearby the ship within one hour, 22 nautical miles northeast of Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia. No injuries or damage were reported. Early on 31 March, Kuwaiti Very Large Crude Carrier Al Salmi was struck by an Iranian drone while anchored at the Port of Dubai, causing a fire. The vessel was at full capacity at the time, and the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation warned of an oil spill. The fire was later contained, and no oil leak was reported. On 1 April, QatarEnergy owned oil tanker Aqua 1 was attacker by two projectiles north of Doha, causing a fire that was extinguished. On 4 April, the IRGC claimed that it attacked the MSC Ishyka with a drone in the Strait of Hormuz, claiming it was linked to Israel. The attack was not verified. Two Indian-flagged ships were targeted by gunfire in the strait and forced to turn back, with the VLCC Sanmar Herald coming under fire from two Iranian gunboats despite receiving prior clearance to pass. Later, a container ship reported damage from a rocket attack off the coast of Oman; no fires or injuries were caused. Another ship, MSC Francesca, was targeted off the coast of Iran and instructed to drop anchor, with damage occurring to its hull and accommodation. Iran said that the ships ignored its warnings and were seized by the IRGC. The Greek Ministry of Shipping initially denied that the Epaminondas was captured, stating that it received extensive damage, but the ship's manager, Technomar, later confirmed that it was seized. A third ship, the Euphoria, was targeted, with Iranian media reporting that it became "stranded on the Iranian coast". On 3 May, an unidentified bulk carrier was attacked by several small boats west of Bandar Sirik, Iran; its crew were reported safe after the incident. Subsequently, on 5March, the bulk carrier Iron Maiden, operated by Cetus Maritime ShanghaiLtd., transited the strait while signalling "CHINA OWNER". Earlier, the LPG tanker Bogazici had broadcast that it was a Muslim-owned and Turkish-operated vessel, and successfully passed through. On 7March, another bulk carrier, the Liberia-flagged Sino Ocean, broadcast its Chinese-owned-and-operated status to transit the strait after picking up its cargo from the UAE's Mina Saqr port. On 5March, the IRGC announced that Iran would keep the Strait of Hormuz closed only to ships from the US, Israel and their Western allies. This was confirmed again on 8March. On 13March, Turkish transport minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said that Iran approved the passage of a Turkish ship through the strait. It was also reported that two Indian-flagged gas carriers and a Saudi oil tanker with 1million barrels for India were allowed to pass, as were several other ships. On 26 March, the Foreign Minister of Iran, Abbas Araghchi, announced that ships owned by five nations, including China, Russia, India, Iraq and Pakistan, would be allowed to transit the Strait of Hormuz. In addition, Malaysian and Thai vessels were granted access through the strait after successful talks with the President of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian and Iran’s ambassador to Thailand respectively. Iran also agreed to a request by the UN to allow humanitarian and fertilizer shipments through the strait on 27 March, to address the disruption to the fertilizer supply during the spring planting season. On 2 April, Iran said it will allow Philippine-flagged vessels and Filipino seafarers to cross the strait following talks. Russian superyacht Nord, owned by billionaire Alexey Mordashov, crossed out of the gulf on April 25 without trouble from the Iranian or American navies. Bypassing and escorting The Iranian area of the strait is theoretically avoidable through the territorial waters of Oman and the UAE on the south. In particular, Oman's deep-water ports of Duqm, Salalah and Sohar in the Arabian Sea outside the strait allow tankers to bypass the choke point. However, in March 2026 several drones struck Duqm and Salalah, with at least one fuel storage tank in Duqm damaged. Iraq has an alternative route in the form of the Kirkuk–Ceyhan Oil Pipeline, going to the Mediterranean coast through Turkey. The combined capacity of these pipelines is about 9 million barrels per day, less than the roughly 20 million barrels per day that can pass through the strait. however, doing so sustainably for months requires more resources. India and Pakistan sent destroyers to escort tankers in the Gulf of Oman, although not in the Strait of Hormuz. The Indian Navy is executing Operation Urja Suraksha as of 25 March under which over five frontline warships, including destroyers and frigates, were deployed to the region to escort over 20 Indian flagged cargo ships that are on the west of Hormuz. On 11 April, it was reported that the US navy had begun an operation to clear naval mines laid by Iran during the war. == United States blockade ==

On 11 April, Trump said that American forces had started had started "clearing" the strait. Iran claimed that an American vessel on its way to the strait turned back after a warning. The Wall Street Journal reported that several US Navy destroyers entered the Strait of Hormuz for the first time since the war began. A US official described it as an "operation that focused on freedom of navigation through International waters". Iran reportedly threatened to attack the ships, accusing the US of a ceasefire violation. US Central Command said the ships were taking part in mine clearance operations. According to one report, Iran lost track of mines that it had planted in the Strait of Hormuz and is therefore unable to fully open the strait. On April 12, JD Vance announced that the Islamabad Talks between the US and Iran had failed. Afterwards, Trump declared a US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, announcing that the US Navy would prevent ships from entering or exiting the strait and would intercept ships that had paid tolls to Iran. CENTCOM clarified that the blockade would begin on 13 April and would be enforced on all ships entering or leaving Iranian ports and coastal areas but would not "impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports." The IRGC Navy said that any military vessel approaching the strait would be considered a ceasefire violation and would meet a "severe response." List of ships attacked by the United States == Impacts ==

Passage through the strait Late on 28February, outgoing traffic through the Strait of Hormuz was heavy, while incoming traffic was light. At least three tankers were struck near the strait, including one off Oman that was set ablaze. At least 17oil tankers continued travelling through the strait. On 1and 2March, no ships appeared in the strait. Houthi-controlled Yemen announced on 28February that it would resume attacks on Israel and commercial ships in the Red Sea, forcing Suez Canal traffic to be rerouted around Africa's Cape of Good Hope. This added weeks to transit times and increased shipping costs. The crisis disrupted global energy supplies and stranded tankers in the Persian Gulf. Cruise ships reduced activity in the Persian Gulf and stopped using the strait, stranding 15,000passengers on at least six major cruise ships: Saudi-based cruise line Aroya Cruises' eponymous Aroya; two ships owned by Celestyal Cruises, Celestyal Discovery and Celestyal Journey; MSCEuribia of MSCCruises; and two TUICruises ships, Mein Schiff4 and Mein Schiff5. On 15 March, an Iranian commander said that Iran would continue to use the Strait of Hormuz as a pressure point. Several ships have passed the strait during the conflict, mostly petroleum ships bound for China and India. On 16 March, a Pakistani oil tanker crossed the Strait of Hormuz with Iranian permission. Iran set up its own shipping channel, north of Larak Island rather than the main channel south of the island. One ship paid $2 million to use Iran's channel. Unaffected by the war, 20 Iranian vessels per day used the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas. On 26 March, Malaysia said that Iran allowed its ships to pass through the strait. According to Lloyd's List, payments were being assessed by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards in Chinese yuan. On 3 April, a French ship crossed the Strait of Hormuz. On 9 April, there was no sign that a recent agreement to lift the Iranian blockade of Strait of Hormuz was being implemented, with ships once again being prevented from passing through the strait. Abu Dhabi National Oil Company CEO Sultan Al Jaber said on that day that the strait was still not open, despite the Iran war ceasefire, because Iran is restricting and conditioning traffic. He added that 230 loaded oil tankers are waiting inside the Gulf. Around 18 April, during a brief time window where both Iran and United States claimed the Strait was open, all six cruise ships sailed from the Persian Gulf through the Strait, into the Arabian Sea and beyond, resuming their commercial schedule elsewhere. On 19 April, Mohammad Rezaei-Kouchi, head of the Iranian parliament’s construction committee, said that the Iranian parliament was planning to pass a law that boats from "hostile" countries cannot pass the Strait, and that all others will need to pay tolls. By 20 April, traffic through the Strait had dropped sharply again, as on 1 March. The International Maritime Organization reported on 21 April that about 20,000 mariners and 2,000 ships remained stranded in the Persian Gulf because of the closure. While passage through the strait is curtailed, small boat, particularly speedboat, commercial traffic across the strait continues. Global economy petrol station in Thailand closing with a sign stating "out of diesel" on 22 March 2026 as the country was hit by a fuel shortage due to its reliance on shipping via the Strait of Hormuz The restriction of shipments by more than 90% (around 10 million barrels per day of oil production) raised energy and agricultural input costs worldwide. The spike in prices is especially problematic in Asia, where major importers like China and India could face supply shortages and price volatility. Natural gas prices in Europe also surged, rising from €30/MWh the past week, to €46/MWh on Monday, 2 March, peaking above €60/MWh on Tuesday, 3 March (nearly double from previous week), before decreasing again to €48/MWh on Wednesday, 4 March. The crisis has been described as the largest disruption to the energy supply since the 1970s oil crises and as the largest in the history of the global oil market. Analysts from institutions like Barclays and Goldman Sachs highlighted risks of sustained high oil prices if the strait is restricted over a longer period. OPEC+ pledged to increase oil output by 206,000 barrels per day to mitigate shortages. On 4 March, Pakistan, a country reliant on imported oil that was looking for alternative shipment routes due to the closure, officially requested that Saudi Arabia reroute oil supplies through port of Yanbu on the Red Sea, with Saudi Arabia providing assurances and arranging at least one crude shipment to bypass the closed strait. Saudi authorities also diverted some of their own crude exports via Yanbu to reduce the impact. On 3 March, Iraq started shutting down operations at the Rumaila oil field due to a lack of storage space, as tankers were unable to leave the strait. On 6 March, Qatari Energy Minister Saad Sherida al-Kaabi warned that if the war continues, other Gulf energy producers may be forced to halt exports and declare force majeure, and that "this will bring down economies of the world". QatarEnergy had already stopped gas production on 2 March and declared force majeure on gas contracts on 4 March. On 7 March, the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation declared force majeure and announced that it would be cutting its oil production. Bahrain's Bapco Energies declared force majeure The missing oil is mostly Medium and Heavy grades, which some Asian refineries depend on and cannot easily switch to lighter grades. Oil exports from the region were 25million barrels per day before the war, dropping 60% to around 10million by 15 March. Iraq declared force majeure on "all oilfields developed by foreign oil companies" on 17 March. On 8 March, crude oil prices surpassed US$100 per barrel for the first time in four years, since the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, and reached a high of $126. The price surge was faster than during any other conflict in recent history, such as the Ukraine war, the Gulf War, or the Iraq War. On 11 March, the 32 International Energy Agency member states unanimously agreed to release 400 million barrels of oil, representing about four days worth of global consumption, from their emergency reserves. The crisis has also led to a slight increase in the number of ships traversing the Panama Canal. In the second week of March, California's gasoline prices exceeded $5 per gallon due to the United States' conflict with Iran. On 19 March, Dubai crude oil prices reached US$166, their highest on record. On 23 March, in response to President Trump's comments on US–Iranian negotiations, Brent crude prices fell from US$114 to US$102 per barrel. On 27 March, Brent crude increased to US$114 per barrel, after negotiations did not produce a ceasefire and the IRGC declared the strait to be closed. Industry The US defense industry is affected by "near total" disruption of critical minerals supply, in particular sulfur, through the strait. In face of sulfuric acid scarcity, China has banned exports impacting among other things copper production in Chile which imported sulfuric acid as consumable. Aluminum prices experienced a slight increase, as the Gulf states account of 20% of raw aluminum exports and 8% of aluminum production. The Gulf region also produces nearly half of the world's urea and 30% of ammonia, with about one-third of the world's fertilizer passing through the strait. Unlike oil, the fertilizer sector does not have internationally coordinated strategic reserves, making supply disruptions more difficult to manage. It is estimated that global fertilizer prices could average 15–20% higher during the first half of 2026 if the crisis continues. In response, the Iranian defense council threatened to lay mines throughout the Persian Gulf. On 23 March, Trump postponed the ultimatum, citing "very good and productive conversations" with Iran. On 30 March, Trump threatened to strike Iranian energy infrastructure if they do not reopen the strait. On 31 March, Trump told countries that were having trouble getting fuel due to the closure to fend for themselves, saying that the US would not help them. On 4 April, Trump reasserted the ultimatum, giving Iran another 48 hours to open the Strait or "face hell." Trump later extended the ultimatum by one day, until 7 April at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Iran denied having conducted any negotiations with Trump. and it also suggested that the negotiations were an effort to sow discord within Iran. At the same time, the Iranian Foreign Ministry acknowledged that it was reviewing a proposal it received from the United States. According to an analysis in Iran International, Trump's statements succeeding in lowering oil prices while also "fracturing" the Iranian regime. On 7 April, US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said that "no country gets to hold the world hostage for leverage just because they happen to sit next to a strait." On 7 March, the Indian Government proposed to deploy the Indian Navy to safeguard the oil supplies it receives. On 9 March, French president Emmanuel Macron announced that France and several other states are setting up a "purely defensive, purely support" escort mission for merchant ships transiting the strait, in the framework of Operation Aspides, and that France is sending a dozen ships to the wider Middle East. The French Navy vowed to send two frigates to escort vessels through the strait. As of 10March, Britain, along with Germany and Italy, are working to support commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Also on that day, USchairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine said that the USmilitary was looking at a "range of options" for restoring tanker traffic. The US sent the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit to the region, where they are expected to try to secure the Strait of Hormuz. is expected to lead maritime security operations in the Strait of Hormuz. On 11March, the G7 nations agreed to look into the possibility of escorting ships through the strait. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright on 12March said that the USNavy may be able to start escorting ships through the strait by the end of March, with the military still focused on "destroying Iran's offensive capabilities and the manufacturing industry that supplies their offensive capabilities." On 15 March, British energy secretary Ed Miliband said that the UK was considering "any options" to secure the Strait of Hormuz. Later that day, British prime minister Keir Starmer held phone conversations with US president Donald Trump and Canadian prime minister Mark Carney to discuss the possibility of opening the Strait of Hormuz. British finance minister Rachel Reeves said that the lack of a plan for opening the strait is "frustrating." On 15 March, Trump demanded that NATO members and China help the US to reopen the strait. On the same day, Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi also ruled out any current plans to send Japanese navy ships to help escort oil tankers through the strait. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said that the EU was exploring the possibility of expanding the scope of its existing naval missions, Aspides and Atalanta, or establishing a framework for the strait similar to the Black Sea Grain Initiative. She called for a diplomatic solution to the crisis. Several EU members ruled out military involvement in the crisis: Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Romania, and the United Kingdom. On 17 March, the Iraqi oil minister said that they are in contact with Iran to negotiate allowing ships to pass. On 19 March, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Japan announced in a joint statement that they are ready to participate in efforts to reopen the strait. On the same day, a meeting of EU leaders failed to reach an agreement on the subject, with a lack of support for expanding the European Union Naval Force in the Red Sea to cover the strait. The joint statement on securing the strait was joined by other countries by 21 March, including: the UAE, Bahrain, Canada, South Korea, New Zealand, Denmark, Latvia, Slovenia, Estonia, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Czech Republic, Romania, Lithuania, and Australia. On 21 March, UN Secretary General António Guterres called for the strait to be opened, and suggested that the UN could help secure it. China stated that the war should not have started, and criticised Iran for attacking other countries in the area. On 29 March, Pakistan hosted a meeting with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, to discuss reopening the Strait of Hormuz. On 30 March, Scott Bessent said that the US would gradually "take control" over the Strait of Hormuz. On 30 March, President Volodymyr Zelensky offered Ukraine's expertise to unblock the strait. Ukraine has managed to keep its ports open by creating a safe corridor through the Black Sea despite constant Russian attacks. Ukrainian strategy includes sharing insurance costs with providers as well as using a combination of armed surface drones, coastal artillery, and air force to repel Russian attacks. On 5 April, French president Emmanuel Macron and South Korean president Lee Jae Myung agreed to work together towards opening the Strait of Hormuz. Also on 5 April, the UAE said that it would support a US military operation to take control of the Strait of Hormuz. On 4 April, the vote on Bahrain's proposal at the UN Security Council calling on states to ensure safety in the strait is uncertain because of divisions among major powers. While many countries support keeping the Strait of Hormuz open for global shipping, countries like Russia and China are concerned the resolution could justify military action near Iran and risk escalation, even though Bahrain had already weakened the proposal by removing stronger language that allowed force. The disagreement remains as Russia and China have veto power. On 7 April, Russia and China vetoed Bahrain's proposal, saying that it was biased against Iran and that it was the wrong message to send after the US president's recent statement threatening the survival of a civilization. Their decision was praised by the Iranian ambassador, and condemned by the US and French ambassadors. On 9 April, UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper rejected the idea that Iran could charge tolls to ships transiting the Strait. On 10 April, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that he and President Trump discussed assembling a political and diplomatic coalition for reopening the Strait of Hormuz on a phone call the previous day, and that they also spoke about military options. On 12 April, a UK government spokesperson said that the UK is working with France and others to ensure that ships can pass through the Strait. The next day, French president Emmanuel Macron said that he was organizing a conference with the British to discuss a strategy. On 14 April, French president Emmanuel Macron and British prime minister Keir Starmer announced that they are holding an online meeting on 17 April for countries interested in being involved in a "defensive multilateral mission" to maintaining the Strait of Hormuz open. On 13 April, Admiral Mark Hammond said that the Australian navy is ready to open the Strait if the government decides that they should do so. On 16 April, Canada condemned Iran's attacks and said that it is important to keep th eStrait of Hormuz open. While the efforts by the U.S. were occurring to reopen the Straits of Hormuz waterway, China moved to block the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. On 21 April, during a call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Chinese leader Xi Jinping said "The Strait of Hormuz should remain open to normal navigation, which is in the common interest of regional countries and the international community". On 22-23 April, the United Kingdom is hosted a conference of 50 countries about a plan to reopen the Strait. == International law ==

The potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz is, according to some analysts, a violation of international law. According to Majid Rafizadeh, Iran is violating the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which it has signed but has not ratified. The UNCLOS regime of innocent passage through territorial waters prohibits imposing a fee on passing ships, unless they receive specific services. However, UNCLOS also says that "every State has the right to establish the breadth of its territorial sea up to a limit not exceeding 12 nautical miles." == Scrapped opening of the strait ==

On 17 April, Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi announced that the Strait of Hormuz was open to all shipping traffic. Iran said that the strait would remain open for the duration of the the ceasefire in Lebanon. Following the announcement, oil prices dropped sharply, losing 11% in the immediate aftermath of the announcement. Although the strait has been declared to be open, commercial traffic is unlikely to return to pre-war levels immediately after the ceasefire. Shortly after this announcement, President Trump made a Truth Social post, saying that the strait is completely open, but that the US naval blockade will remain until negotiations with Iran have concluded. On 18 April, Iran said that it closed the Strait of Hormuz again in response to the refusal of the US to lift its naval blockade. == Islands near the Strait of Hormuz ==

• Qeshm • Hormuz • Hengam • Larak • Siri Island • Faror Island • Abu Musa (Administered by Iran, claimed by Iran and the United Arab Emirates) • Greater and Lesser Tunbs (Administered by Iran, claimed by Iran and the United Arab Emirates) • Quoin Islands (claimed by Oman) • Umm al-Fayyarin (claimed by Oman) == See also ==